Biblioteca Universitaria di Bologna

Desired by Pope Benedetto XIV, the magnificent University library was built in 1741, and is housed inside the Università Di Bologna. Having been designed by Carlo Francesco Dotti, it became a part of the Science Institute and contained the collections of Pope Benedetto XIV, the naturalist researcher Ulisse Aldrovandi, Cardinal Monti and others. Today it contains over 900,000 volumes, almost 3000 letters and autographs and thousands of manuscripts such as the Paolo Diacono from the 12th Century, an Avicenza in Hebrew from the 15th Century as well as many other illustrated works. The inside has been decorated with frescoes by many of Bologna's famous artists.